Local photographer John A. Stewart awarded 2nd place at Irvine Fine Arts Center
Photo "Ravaged" copyright by John A. Stewart
Redondo Beach, CA artist John A. Stewart was awarded a 2nd place in the 2010 All Media juried show at the Irvine Fine Arts Center in Irvine, Ca. The All Media show was open to all artists living in Southern California. The juror is Karen Moss, Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Programs, Orange County Museum of Arts.
I asked John to tell me about his photography and what motivates him to make pictures. Says Stewart:
“I struggle to understand the complexities of the human condition. The fragile interior lives of people and their emotional states are a constant inspiration for my work.
I am drawn to photograph certain people. I am interested in trying to reveal some aspect of their interior life. There’s something strange and inviting about the whole process. It’s a mystery.
Digital photography gives me the ability to transform any aspect of an image. It provides freedom to alter or create new views of my subject. There has never been a time in the history of photography when such artistic freedom is possible.
In my current work, I am looking at subjects and light, with the idea of transforming the raw material into a new experience for the viewer made possible by digital technology. This is an intentional choice on my part, to observe a subject, take a photograph, and then alter it to create a compelling and mysterious image to share with the viewer.”
To illustrate this John quotes Robert Bresson: “No art without transformation.”
By Jim McKinniss
Congratulations John.